4 new bird flu cases confirmed in poultry workers

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed on Sunday four new human cases of avian flu, bringing the total number to eight confirmed cases nationwide since March.

An additional human case is presumed positive and pending confirmation at the CDC, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) said in a statement Sunday.

All five cases were reported in farmworkers who were responding to an outbreak of the virus at a commercial egg layer operation in Colorado. Three of the cases were reported Friday by the CDPHE, which then sent samples to the CDC to conduct testing to confirm.

The CDPHE said the infected people were all culling poultry at a farm in northeast Colorado.

They experienced “mild symptoms,” including pink eye and “common respiratory infection systems,” the department said. None of the workers was hospitalized.

The state is investigating the cases, with support from the CDC, the CDPHE said, adding that as of Sunday, “State epidemiologists suspect the poultry workers’ cases are a result of working directly with infected poultry.”

Earlier this month, Colorado reported its first human case of the bird flu linked to the dairy cow outbreak, the fourth case reported nationwide. Since March, two cases have been identified in Michigan and one case identified in Texas. Those cases were all unrelated, the CDC said.

While the risk to the public remains low, health officials are warning the public to be vigilant about only drinking milk that is pasteurized and only eating “properly handled and cooked dairy, beef, and poultry products.” The CDPHE this month said Coloradans should not touch sick or dead animals, but if they need to people should wear personal protective equipment including an N95 respirator, eye protection and gloves.